Hoovergate Continued?

[CCTAU 3,342]

Hoover counselors sent UA changed transcript for player

Former principal says grade change a mistake

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

JON SOLOMON AND ERIN STOCK

News staff writers

Counselors at Hoover High School this spring sent a second, different transcript for a football player to the University of Alabama after the university called to say the player was unexpectedly ineligible, according to the high school's former principal.

The second transcript contained a grade change that was "an honest mistake" and that made the player eligible, said Richard Bishop, who has sued the school system over his dismissal as principal.

The player is Josh Chapman, a highly recruited freshman defensive tackle at Alabama, The Birmingham News has learned.

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The grade change is one of several allegations involving academics at Hoover High that are being investigated by retired federal judge Sam Pointer Jr. on behalf of the school system.

Some other allegations involve whether a teacher was pressured to give a certain grade to a football player. The News has learned that player is Kerry Murphy, a highly rated Alabama signee who failed to qualify academically this year and is attending prep school.

The University of Alabama declined to comment about Chapman's case. Messages left with Chapman were not returned, and Alabama denied an interview request to speak with him.

"Whenever we receive information questioning any student-athlete's eligibility, we evaluate that information and take appropriate action according to the circumstances," Alabama spokesman Doug Walker said.

No formal correction:

Bishop said he and Hoover Superintendent Andy Craig agreed not to formally correct the second transcript, which was sent to the NCAA Clearinghouse for review of eligibility, because the grade-change error was strictly Hoover's.

Craig said he didn't want to discuss an individual case, but "if an error was made on a grade/transcript in favor of the student, as a general rule, I don't think we would punish the student for a mistake that we made."

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[AURainman 6]

So...

Bama gets Josh Chapman's transcript, calls up Hoover, and Hoover fixes the "mistake."

Hoover administration ALLEDGEDLY pressures teachers to try to qualify Kerry Murphy for BAMA.

Sounds like Bama fans/boosters/supporters are running amok in Hoover's administration.

...Black Helicopter Moment...

Auburn fans caught wind L-O-O-O-NG before Josh Chapman switched commitments that the Hoover administration (or someone involved w/ the admin.) was putting the squeeze on Josh in order to steer him to Alabama. We chuckled because he had a Saban moment and said <paraphrased>, "I'm sticking with my commitment to Auburn." Then, as the Spring semester is firing up and its clear he is a borderline academic casualty, he magically changes his mind. NOW, we hear that his transcript was changed. Did Hoover administrators offer to change his grade because of his commitment to Alabama? Did they sway his decision because of their supposed power to get him eligible?

Either way, the fault rests on the goons at Hoover, unless somehow Bama was involved (they aren't THAT stupid, are they?). I'm embarassed today to call myself an Alumnus of Hoover U.

[WAR-MATT 2]

Oh BG!!!!! - told ya so.

[WarDlowe 39]

So...

Bama gets Josh Chapman's transcript, calls up Hoover, and Hoover fixes the "mistake."

Hoover administration ALLEDGEDLY pressures teachers to try to qualify Kerry Murphy for BAMA.

Sounds like Bama fans/boosters/supporters are running amok in Hoover's administration.

...Black Helicopter Moment...

Auburn fans caught wind L-O-O-O-NG before Josh Chapman switched commitments that the Hoover administration (or someone involved w/ the admin.) was putting the squeeze on Josh in order to steer him to Alabama. We chuckled because he had a Saban moment and said <paraphrased>, "I'm sticking with my commitment to Auburn." Then, as the Spring semester is firing up and its clear he is a borderline academic casualty, he magically changes his mind. NOW, we hear that his transcript was changed. Did Hoover administrators offer to change his grade because of his commitment to Alabama? Did they sway his decision because of their supposed power to get him eligible?

Either way, the fault rests on the goons at Hoover, unless somehow Bama was involved (they aren't THAT stupid, are they?). I'm embarassed today to call myself an Alumnus of Hoover U.

i think that this is very sad and embarassing for my high school, but i'll always be proud to admit i'm from there. while a lot of bad athletic things have been going on there, some good academic things have also be accomplished. i'll never forget my first year at auburn when i felt tremendously more prepared than many others that were from the same area.

sorry to steal the thread subject but for all the hoover bashing that is warranted, it's not a complete joke of a place.

[DKW 86 7,440]

Dont fret bama fans, I have it on Donna Frazier's word of honor that Pointer got up this morning and hasnt managed to find the sun yet.

While the entire nation KNOWS what is going on down there. Getting anyone off their rear ends to fix the academic dishonesty is just too much to ask. These are kids Bama needs to play this fall and damn everything and everyone else, they are gonna play!

[BamaGrad03 0]

Craig said he didn't want to discuss an individual case, but "if an error was made on a grade/transcript in favor of the student, as a general rule, I don't think we would punish the student for a mistake that we made."

First of all...we are talking about an 89.5 being a B vs an A. Which is absurd. It's not like he got a 50 and they gave him an A to "get him eligible".

Secondly, Hoover made the mistake. Actually the teacher that is bitching made the mistake. They sent Alabama the transcript with the mistake they made...and that is the transcript that was sent to the clearinghouse.

You guys are blaming Alabama because Hoover decided not to go "Aha!...gotcha...we screwed up, now you are UN admitted". Ummmm ok. You guys are acting like he had 6 grades changed or something. Oh wait...

[WarTiger 3,916]

Craig said he didn't want to discuss an individual case, but "if an error was made on a grade/transcript in favor of the student, as a general rule, I don't think we would punish the student for a mistake that we made."

First of all...we are talking about an 89.5 being a B vs an A. Which is absurd. It's not like he got a 50 and they gave him an A to "get him eligible".

Secondly, Hoover made the mistake. Actually the teacher that is bitching made the mistake. They sent Alabama the transcript with the mistake they made...and that is the transcript that was sent to the clearinghouse.

You guys are blaming Alabama because Hoover decided not to go "Aha!...gotcha...we screwed up, now you are UN admitted". Ummmm ok. You guys are acting like he had 6 grades changed or something. Oh wait...

As usual its ALWAYS somebody elses fault. It's just too convenient that until he commited to uat he was an academic casualty, then suddenly, wait, we got it wrong...he's eligible. uat = win at all costs.

[DKW 86 7,440]

Craig said he didn't want to discuss an individual case, but "if an error was made on a grade/transcript in favor of the student, as a general rule, I don't think we would punish the student for a mistake that we made."

First of all...we are talking about an 89.5 being a B vs an A. Which is absurd. It's not like he got a 50 and they gave him an A to "get him eligible".

Secondly, Hoover made the mistake. Actually the teacher that is bitching made the mistake. They sent Alabama the transcript with the mistake they made...and that is the transcript that was sent to the clearinghouse.

You guys are blaming Alabama because Hoover decided not to go "Aha!...gotcha...we screwed up, now you are UN admitted". Ummmm ok. You guys are acting like he had 6 grades changed or something. Oh wait...

BG, the grades changed on the kids in Mobile were changed over a YEAR ago. Everyone got those transcripts. Chapman's grades were changed from end of school after the enrollment process started AT bama. The CALL came FROM BAMA to get the grades changed, reviewed, etc. They were changed. The teacher has raised holy hell about this for months now. Only now, when the season is about to start and Chapman is on the roster for playing time does this surface.

The AU fans recall that Chapman was deeply committed to us UNTIL 2 days before signing day. We all can guess that he was offered a fix so he could play as a freshman at Bama for his signature. Just look at all thje academic guys we have lost this year alone at AU. If we were fixing grades we wouldnt have lost 5-6 good players over grades already.

BTW, he will play. None of this ineligible stuff will last long enough to hurt him or bama this year. Pointer probably wont find anything. Even if he does, Frazier isnt going to do anything. Now the Hoover mayor...I think he is smelling big political blood in the water over this. It COULD get interesting.

[Ranger12 46]

I don't think making an 89.5 into an "A" by rounding it up is very newsworthy.

However, my question is what was this kid's grades in other classes if half a point from an "A" made him ineligible? Even though he had a good grade in this math class, for that half a point to have made him ineligible, does that not mean he must have did pretty bad in his other classes?

[metafour 4,969]

LOOOOOL.

[sntemp 0]

I don't think making an 89.5 into an "A" by rounding it up is very newsworthy.

However, my question is what was this kids grades in other classes if half a point from an "A" made him ineligible? Even though he had a good grade in this math class, for that half a point to have made him ineligible, does that not mean he must have did pretty bad in his other classes?

Ranger, I've wondered the same thing also. We're talking 1/2 a point making the difference. I would love to see his overall report card for the year.

The change from 89.5 to a 90 might not be newsworthy if it had happened from the get go but the way it has happened sure stinks to me. If that 1/2 a point wasn't the difference between him playing or not it would be a non issue. However it is the difference and in that it makes it slightly newsworthy.

By the way howdy Ranger, hope all is well with you.

-Michael

[TitanTiger 20,510]

First of all...we are talking about an 89.5 being a B vs an A. Which is absurd. It's not like he got a 50 and they gave him an A to "get him eligible".

The point is not what grade was changed to what, but that the change was enough to take him from ineligible to eligible.

And I think even you have to admit the sequence of events looks a little shady. He gets to Bama, they say he's "unexpectedly ineligible", then Hoover provides a transcript that suddenly alliviates the problem? C'mon, whether there's fire or not, it sure of hell is a lot of smoke.

And I think you know better than to compare the Mobile situation. For one, that was done over a year ago before Auburn was even in the picture, there is no evidence whatsoever that Auburn had any involvement. Not so much as a phone call. Not to mention that on Ryan Williams, he would have been eligible regardless. The changes to him didn't affect his eligibility one way or the other.

[AU Tailgating Rules 0]

Craig said he didn't want to discuss an individual case, but "if an error was made on a grade/transcript in favor of the student, as a general rule, I don't think we would punish the student for a mistake that we made."

First of all...we are talking about an 89.5 being a B vs an A. Which is absurd. It's not like he got a 50 and they gave him an A to "get him eligible".

Secondly, Hoover made the mistake. Actually the teacher that is bitching made the mistake. They sent Alabama the transcript with the mistake they made...and that is the transcript that was sent to the clearinghouse.

You guys are blaming Alabama because Hoover decided not to go "Aha!...gotcha...we screwed up, now you are UN admitted". Ummmm ok. You guys are acting like he had 6 grades changed or something. Oh wait...

If you keep telling yourself the same lie, you might actually start to beleive it. The facts in this are that Chapman had a final grade of 89 wich can not be rounded up to a 90. Because this made him ineligable a couple of counselors at Hoover decided to start tinkering around and added his first semester 90 and his second semester 89 together to come up with the magical 89.5 that they then rounded to an A and sent off to Bama.

Oh yeah and don't forget that when Bama got the first transcript with the B on it BAMA called Hoover and initiated the grade change and thus are culpable in this as much as anybody.

[DKW 86 7,440]

Craig said he didn't want to discuss an individual case, but "if an error was made on a grade/transcript in favor of the student, as a general rule, I don't think we would punish the student for a mistake that we made."

First of all...we are talking about an 89.5 being a B vs an A. Which is absurd. It's not like he got a 50 and they gave him an A to "get him eligible".

Secondly, Hoover made the mistake. Actually the teacher that is bitching made the mistake. They sent Alabama the transcript with the mistake they made...and that is the transcript that was sent to the clearinghouse.

You guys are blaming Alabama because Hoover decided not to go "Aha!...gotcha...we screwed up, now you are UN admitted". Ummmm ok. You guys are acting like he had 6 grades changed or something. Oh wait...

If you keep telling yourself the same lie, you might actually start to beleive it. The facts in this are that Chapman had a final grade of 89 wich can not be rounded up to a 90. Because this made him ineligable a couple of counselors at Hoover decided to start tinkering around and added his first semester 90 and his second semester 89 together to come up with the magical 89.5 that they then rounded to an A and sent off to Bama.

Oh yeah and don't forget that when Bama got the first transcript with the B on it BAMA called Hoover and initiated the grade change and thus are culpable in this as much as anybody.

Yeah, that call was not about enrollment, it was about freshman year eligibility. Why bother about a kid that should likely redshirt anyway? You would worry only if you had promised him playing time as a FR.

[metafour 4,969]

BTW: Some of you are confused, the change was from an 89 to an 89.5. An 89.5 can then be "rounded up" to a 90. The change was essentially from 89 to 90....from a B to an A.

[CircleDrill 178]

Well, with all due respect, if you are THAT borderline on your grades in HIGH SCHOOL, how in the world are you going to keep your academic eligibility at the prestigious University of Alabama?

My guess is the grade changing will continue.

Guess why Saban negotiated no buyout in his contract? Because he was hired to win games for a couple of years, so he's gonna do that on his way to a better place. The program be damned.

[AUChizad 0]

Craig said he didn't want to discuss an individual case, but "if an error was made on a grade/transcript in favor of the student, as a general rule, I don't think we would punish the student for a mistake that we made."

First of all...we are talking about an 89.5 being a B vs an A. Which is absurd. It's not like he got a 50 and they gave him an A to "get him eligible".

Secondly, Hoover made the mistake. Actually the teacher that is bitching made the mistake. They sent Alabama the transcript with the mistake they made...and that is the transcript that was sent to the clearinghouse.

You guys are blaming Alabama because Hoover decided not to go "Aha!...gotcha...we screwed up, now you are UN admitted". Ummmm ok. You guys are acting like he had 6 grades changed or something. Oh wait...

If you keep telling yourself the same lie, you might actually start to beleive it. The facts in this are that Chapman had a final grade of 89 wich can not be rounded up to a 90. Because this made him ineligable a couple of counselors at Hoover decided to start tinkering around and added his first semester 90 and his second semester 89 together to come up with the magical 89.5 that they then rounded to an A and sent off to Bama.

Oh yeah and don't forget that when Bama got the first transcript with the B on it BAMA called Hoover and initiated the grade change and thus are culpable in this as much as anybody.

Took the words right out of my mouth.

How many times do you have to be corrected on your 89.5 lie?

[DKW 86 7,440]

Turns out Borie is an Bama grad, maybe even a Bama cheerleader.

No, nothing funny here...

[Ranger12 46]

89, 89.5, 90, or whatever the grade was supposed to be, the question still remains, why would even a whole point with a grade that high be the difference between being eligible or ineligible if he made decent grades in his other class?

Obviously the kid was not doing too well in his other classes. So, why was he able to make such a high grade in his math class, but not do so well in subjects that many high schoolers would consider to be easier then math? You would think a kid that makes an 89 in math is disciplined enough to make good grades in his other classes, therefore his eligibility should not have been in question, especially with one point making the difference.

All of this makes me suspicious of even what the original math grade was that was changed. Was it really an 89 to begin with, as school officials are saying, or was it actually much lower and somebody is trying to cover their here? The fact that he changed his commitment at the last minute just makes all of this even more suspicious. Maybe the teacher that is trying to raise hell about this knows that more then an "89" was changed?

[BamaGrad03 0]

BTW: Some of you are confused, the change was from an 89 to an 89.5. An 89.5 can then be "rounded up" to a 90. The change was essentially from 89 to 90....from a B to an A.

Oh the horror!

[AUChizad 0]

BTW: Some of you are confused, the change was from an 89 to an 89.5. An 89.5 can then be "rounded up" to a 90. The change was essentially from 89 to 90....from a B to an A.

Oh the horror!

Pump in all the sarcasm you like, but you know full well that there is a significant difference in GOING BACK after the kid has already graduated and sending a second transcript that brings one of his grades from an A to a B which brings his entire GPA up just enough to be eligible after the first submission didn't cut it, and simply "Rounding up from an 89.5 to a 90".

[BamaGrad03 0]

But no one is accusing Alabama of anything. At least not those who are accusing Hoover of doing wrong.

The only people point the finger at Alabama, are Auburn fans.

[TitanTiger 20,510]

BTW: Some of you are confused, the change was from an 89 to an 89.5. An 89.5 can then be "rounded up" to a 90. The change was essentially from 89 to 90....from a B to an A.

Oh the horror!

I've talked to you enough to know you're not this dense.

[BamaGrad03 0]

I just don't understand why it's automatically Alabama's fault. You guys were quick to agree that whats his nuts had his grades changed and was an AU recruit...but it had nothing to do with AU.

Now UA has a recruit who had his grades changed...and amongst all the conspiracy theories, no one stops to think that it was done without coercing from UA.

Did it ever occur to anyone that maybe a Hoover teacher was trying to help Chapman out? Since that happens ALL THE TIME...

[AU Tailgating Rules 0]

But no one is accusing Alabama of anything. At least not those who are accusing Hoover of doing wrong.

The only people point the finger at Alabama, are Auburn fans.

I'm thinking the phone call went something like this:

BAMA to HOOVER---hey guys just got the transcript you sent over for Josh, I thought we had an "understanding" that you were going to get his transcript "fixed" so that he would clear the NCAA

HOOVER TO BAMA: Oops we forgot to get that straigthened out, if you give us a an hour or so we will have the "right" transcript sent over and all will be well.

BAMA to HOOVER: Thanks, look forward to doing business again next year